


Emotions That Come With a Smile

by Patchwork drabbles (PurplePatchwork)



Series: Non-RusAme Drabbles [7]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Business, Flirting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 14:10:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13191720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplePatchwork/pseuds/Patchwork%20drabbles
Summary: Arthur isn't really sure how to deal with his colleague Ivan, although he greatly appreciates him. Perhaps even more so than he realises.





	Emotions That Come With a Smile

“Arthur? Could you look over these documents for me?”

Arthur looked up, seeing Ivan leaning over the wall separating their cubicles. They had been colleagues for a couple of months now, and while their conversations had been limited to talk about work and the weather, Arthur quite liked Ivan’s calm demeanour and the occasional sarcastic jab at this month’s candidate in sucking up to the boss.

“Sure. I will take a look at them after I’m done correcting this text.”

Ivan flashed a small thumbs-up. “Thank you. As always, you are a doll.”

Arthur felt his lips twitch, but it never came to a full smile. Ivan often threw him off-guard with nicknames like these, and Arthur was never quite sure how to respond to them. Was the man teasing him, simply gauging his reaction, or did he have other intentions?

Giving a curd nod, Arthur refocused on his screen. “I’ll have them done by lunch.”

Hearing rather than seeing Ivan sit back down, Arthur began typing away. He realised he could do with a slightly more relaxed attitude every once in a while. Not that he never cracked a joke or put his minds to other things than the next task that needed to be completed, quite on the contrary. But when it came to the teasing banter directed solely at his own address, Arthur always managed to react coolly, even if he didn’t want to come over that way. Outside of work he functioned perfectly well; he knew perfectly well how to let loose around his family, when going out to the bar for a drink, or when his next-door neighbour Francis said something that required an hour-long back-and-forth.  _Then_  he always knew just what to say, just how much to let go. At work, not so much.

Or, to be precise, around Ivan. Because he  _wanted_  Ivan to think highly of him. Ivan was one of the best employees at the office, taken in high regard by both his colleagues and superiors. And Ivan had chosen to be friendly to Arthur of all people. He simply didn’t know how to deal. Which was ridiculous! He was already twenty-five, not some hormonal teenager wanting to be the most popular kid in class. He shouldn’t be worrying about appearances at this age!

Still, by the time lunch announced itself, Arthur had triple-checked Ivan’s documents, making sure not a single flaw remained. He leant back in his chair the exact moment Ivan walked around the wall, one hand holding a phone, the other positioned nonchalantly in the pocket of his perfectly fitted trousers.

“Here you go,” Arthur said shortly, distractedly letting his eyes rove the other’s spick-and-span appearance while handing over the documents. Their fingers brushed, causing Arthur to look up with a start, just in time to see a content smile on the other’s pale face.

“Thank you, again. I have no idea what I would do without you.”

Arthur felt his cheeks darken, the need to protest rising in his throat. “Don’t be silly,” he huffed, “you’d manage perfectly fine.”

Ivan rolled one large shoulder, reaching back to put down the small stack of papers, before looking back at Arthur, expression curious, calculating. His next words were spoken carefully, as if testing the waters. “Perhaps. Perhaps your presence has been more of a distraction than a blessing.” His tone became playful, diminishing the effect of his accusations. “Perhaps I would get more work done if you hadn’t been here.”

Arthur couldn’t help it; he snorted. It came out like a spur-of-the-moment convulsion, an accidental spouting of noise. Stilling directly after, he felt himself blush even more fiercely, but a look at Ivan’s expression told him his colleague was both pleasantly surprised and, for lack of a better term, perfectly gleeful.

“You laughed! That is the first time I have heard you laugh at my jokes. I was beginning to fear you disliked my presence, that you thought of me as a bother.”

Arthur’s eyebrows shot up to disappear behind dirty blond bangs. “Disliked—where on earth did you get that idea? I was simply nervous!” His mouth snapped shut, but it was already too late.

However, from the looks of it, Ivan was more pleased than disturbed at hearing this accidental confession. “Ah, I am glad! I truly was afraid you found me bothersome.” He leant in slightly, eyes snapping left and right, before he continued in a conspiratory voice. “Because you see, it has taken me months to gather the courage to ask you out for lunch.”

Arthur didn’t know how to react at first. Was Ivan really…?

However, seeing the other’s hopeful smile, those big eyes searching for any emotion on Arthur’s part, he finally tried making an effort to open up, let loose.

“I-I would gladly!” He scraped his throat, tried again, this time trying to sound less like a love-struck teenager. “I mean, is this lunch for work or leisure?”

“Most definitely leisure,” Ivan purred, seeming excited to get more emotional response.

Arthur swallowed, nodded. “I would be delighted.”

Ivan clapped his hands together. “Great! I will get my coat.”

Arthur’s head bobbed up and down mechanically, as he too reached for his coat. His body was trembling ever so slightly at the realisation that he was most likely going on a date with Ivan. Not only would everyone be perfectly green with envy, seeing as Ivan was a most wanted bachelor, but he felt like he was finally starting to understand the reasoning behind Ivan’s sense of humour.

While putting on his own coat, Arthur quickly looked past the partition of their cubicles.

“And by the way, your sarcasm is to die for.”

Never had he seen anyone look so damned happy. Arthur decided that letting loose was perfectly allowed at work just as it was at home. Especially if it caused Ivan to react like this.

Thus came the first time they talked of something other than work and the weather, and Ivan finally got to see the side he had been trying to draw out for months on end.


End file.
